Derge Kangyur/Tengyur e-text, Esukhia/Barom edition — public domain (mechanical reproduction)
This ritual text outlines a fire offering (homa) designed to purify ethical transgressions, specifically associated with the recitation of the names of Mañjuśrī. The work provides a technical manual for the practitioner, detailing the physical arrangement of the ritual space with kuśa grass and specific offerings, the mental construction of a mandala based on the four elements, and the use of mudrās and mantras to empower the fire. The ritual incorporates elements of funerary rites, instructing the yogi to dissolve the consciousness of the deceased and guide it toward the realm of Akaniṣṭha through the wisdom of Mahāvairocana. By following these precise liturgical steps—ranging from the consecration of the hearth to the final offerings to the Fire God—the reader is committed to a complex synthesis of purification, deity yoga, and the facilitation of a favorable rebirth for the deceased.
Provenance
About this text
A ritual for the purification of sins through a fire offering, the Āryamañjuśrīnāmasaṃgītisarvapāpaviśodhanahomavidhi belongs to the Yoga Tantra Treatises. The work is attributed to the Indian author Mañjuśrīmitra. It was translated into the Tibetan language by Suvajra and bod kyi lo tsa ba chos kyi shes rab, and is preserved in the Tengyur (vol. ངུ), where it extends over seven pages. The ritual enacts a complex liturgical process, beginning with prostrations to Mañjughoṣa and the physical arrangement of the ritual space using kuśa grass, saṃskāra water, arghya water, and various offerings such as sesame, butter, and grains. It further guides the practitioner through the manifestation of the maṇḍala wheel to purify the lower realms of sentient beings and the mental construction of a triangular fire maṇḍala centered on the syllable RAṂ. A scholar or serious reader consults this classical Tibetan text today to examine the technical specifications of the homa, from the precise placement of offerings to the visualization of the fire hearth, providing insight into the intersection of physical ritualism and mental concentration within the Yoga Tantra tradition.
Cite thisAnuvāda, “A Fire Offering Ritual for the Purification of Ethical Transgressions according to “The Recitation of the Names of Mañjuśrī”” (Toh 2576), machine draft, 2026.https://naxiai.com/tibetan/works/toh2576
Summary & commentary
Significance
The text is significant as it demonstrates the integration of Mañjuśrī-based mantra practice with the traditional Vedic-derived fire ritual adapted for Buddhist purification. It illustrates the intersection of soteriological goals for the living and the ritualized management of the deceased's consciousness within the Indo-Tibetan tradition.
Structure
Passages
Section
Description
1-2
Introduction and Preparation
Provides the title in Sanskrit and Tibetan and details the physical setup of the ritual space and offerings.
3-4
Mandala Construction and Fire Empowerment
Describes the mental visualization of the mandala and the use of mudrās and mantras to seal and empower the fire.
5
Offerings and Mantras
Lists specific mantras associated with various grains and botanical offerings.
6-8
Funerary Rites and Consciousness Transfer
Details the process of dissolving the deceased's consciousness, the final offerings, and the guidance of the deceased to the realm of Akaniṣṭha.
9
Colophon
Attributes the composition to Mañjuśrīmitra and the translation to Suvarman and Chos kyi shes rab.
Themes
Purification of Transgressions (1, 4, 7)
Ritual Space and Material Offerings (2, 5)
Visualization and Mandala (3, 7)
Death and Rebirth (6, 8)
Summary, significance and provenance note generated by gemma4:31b from the translation and the catalogue record.
AnuvādaA Fire Offering Ritual for the Purification of Ethical Transgressions according to “The Recitation of the Names of Mañjuśrī”·
In the language of India: Ārya-mañjuśrī-nāma-saṃgīti-pāpa-śodhana-homa-vidhi-nāma. In the language of Tibet: ’phags pa ’jam dpal gyi mtshan yang dag par brjod pa’i sdig pa sbyong ba’i sbyin sreg gi cho ga zhes bya ba (The Ritual of the Fire Offering for Purifying the Sins of the Noble Mañjuśrī-nāma-saṃgīti). Homage to Mañjuśrī, the Youthful!
Having prostrated to Mañjughoṣa, who dispels the stains of ignorance and opens the eyes of insight and primordial wisdom, I shall explain for the benefit of others this ritual that purifies the lower realms of sentient beings and is of benefit to those who have passed away.
In this regard, on an auspicious day with favorable planets and stars, whether or not it is connected to a formal maṇḍala, one should first perform the preliminary rites such as requesting the site in a suitable location. The ground should be made into a square measuring sixteen cubits. In the center, a circle of half that size should be drawn, and it should be raised one cubit high. Its rim should also be made of that same measure. Then, a pit should be made inside, half a cubit deep and wide, and the interior of the hearth should also be one cubit deep. It should be encircled by a white vajra, a white wheel, a blue vajra, a yellow jewel, a red lotus, and a green crossed-vajra.
There, using wood such as sandalwood or jujube that has not originated from poisonous sources, one should place the physical aggregate of whichever sentient being has passed away—having bathed it, anointed it with fragrance, and adorned it—in the posture of the cross-legged position, facing west.
Cover the top and the intermediate directions with kuśa grass and set it down. Then, to the left, place the saṃskāra water and the arghya water, and arrange the five offerings. In front, place the samidh wood, sesame, white mustard, butter, cow’s milk, curd, cooked rice, kuśa grass, dūrvā grass, barley, wheat, soba grain, peas, māṣa beans, śyāmāka grain, bilva fruit, walnuts, jātī flowers, the three fruits, udumbara wood, forest creepers with moisture, unbroken rice, tagara incense, the three sweets, and various kinds of food not derived from living beings. These supreme fragrant substances for the burnt offering (homa) should be placed upon a layer of kuśa grass spread out, on top of which are fine leaves or a new cloth. In front, place the darvī and sruva ladles.
Having thus gathered the substances, the Vajra Master should don the ornaments and hold the vajra and bell. Through the blessing of recollecting Yamāntaka, the King who subdues the malevolent, one should think that the hosts of obstructors are defeated and that one is within a pavilion that cannot be harmed by anything. Then, having purified misdeeds and generated a noble aspiration for virtue, one should definitely generate the supreme mind of enlightenment (bodhicitta) in order to become a fortunate vessel. Following that, being thoroughly purified, one enters the meditative absorption (samādhi) of great compassion, the manifest enlightenment of the Māyājāla.
Having manifested the maṇḍala wheel, one should completely purify the lower realms of all sentient beings. Then, one should construct the maṇḍala arising from the four elements. From the physical body, there emerges the wheel of the fire hearth. Within that, one should mentally inscribe a triangular fire maṇḍala marked in the center with the syllable RAṂ, and at the three corners the three syllables OṂ ĀḤ HŪṂ as signs that the karma and afflictions of the three realms are being consumed as food. Taking fire from the house of a highly purified brahmin, one should say "VAJRA JVALA RAṂ" and fan it with a bellows. Having kindled the fire on kuśa grass, through its blessing, one should generate the King of Fire Deities, Bhavaka, who is like a conch or a kunda flower, arising from the aforementioned syllables. He is perfectly complete upon a lotus and moon seat, with one face and four arms, holding a guṇḍī (incense burner), a staff, a rosary, and a fire hearth. Then, the mantra practitioner should invite the Fire Deity Bhavaka, saying:
OṂ, come, come, great being!
King of Fire Deities, supreme ṛṣi,
Please accept this burnt offering and food,
And be seated upon the blazing seat!
OṂ EHYEHI MAHĀBHŪTA DEVA ṚṢIRĀJA SATVA MAHĀKRODHI ĀḤ HŪṂ.
MAHĀYĀMANA NIHITOBHAVA OṂ.
BHAVAKA AGNAYE SVĀHĀ.
Having thus invited him, the offering water is presented with:
OṂ BHAVAKA AGNAYE GAGANAYE SVĀHĀ.
Then, with "OṂ BHAVAKA AGNI JAḤ HŪṂ BAṂ HOḤ," one performs the summoning, entering, binding, and subjugating.
Display the samaya-mudrā and recite: oṃ vajrāgnaye mahābhūta jvala sarvabhakṣiṃ kuru sarvaduṣṭān krodha jaḥ hūṃ vaṃ hoḥ samayas tvaṃ a hūṃ. By reciting this, seal [the fire] with the four mudrās and bestow empowerment upon it. Consecrate it with the three syllables and offer the five offerings and the water for the face with oṃ bhavaka vajrāgnaye vajrapuṣpaṃ and so forth. Then, in order to first generate the majesty of the fire, offer seven or five ladles of clarified butter. Recite: oṃ vajrānala mahābhūta jvala sarvabhakṣiṃ kuru sarvaduṣṭān hūṃ phaṭ. Carefully examine the color of the fire: if it is white or yellow, swirling and blazing, without flickering or splitting, without scattering, and free from all sound and smoke—if it is smooth, sharp, and clear, it is excellent. If it is black and coarse, flickering and crackling, emitting sparks, unclear, not blazing, or shrouded in smoke, it is bad. If it is bad, pacify the obstacles, and then offer the fuel wood. For the fuel wood: oṃ vajrānala mahābhūta jvala sarvabhakṣiṃ kuru sarvaduṣṭān bhavaka agnaye vajramataye svāhā. Apply this similarly to all [substances]. For sesame: oṃ [name of the deceased] sarvapāpaṃ dahana ya svāhā. For white mustard: oṃ [name of the deceased] sarvapāpaṃ jvalaraṃ svāhā. For substances that are melted, such as clarified butter, milk, and yogurt, use the mantra of the fire itself: sarvasaṃvade svāhā. For cooked rice: āyuṣe svāhā. For dūrvā grass sprouts: āyuṣe svāhā.
OṂ APRATIHATAYE SVĀHĀ. This is for the kuśa grass. OṂ MAHĀVEGAYE SVĀHĀ. This is for the barley. OṂ VAJRA GHAṢMARĪYE SVĀHĀ. This is for the wheat. OṂ VAJRA VIJAYE SVĀHĀ. This is for the millet. OṂ MAHĀBALAYE SVĀHĀ. This is for the peas. OṂ VAJRA MUDAYE SVĀHĀ. This is for the masha beans. OṂ SARVA PUṢṬAYE SVĀHĀ. This is for the rice and millet. OṂ MAHĀŚOPHAYE SVĀHĀ. This is for the bilva, the walnut, and all medicinal herbs. The firewood is offered into the light of the fire. The clarified butter is offered into the mouth. The various types of grain and medicinal substances are offered into the mouth. The kuśa and dūrvā grasses are offered onto the crown of the head. The five offerings are presented according to their proper manner. They are offered into whichever respective locations they belong. Finally, having presented the five offerings, one praises with this praise:
HŪṂ. Lord of the World, son of the Protector Brahmā,
King of the Fire Deities, consecrated by all,
With the fire of wisdom, you burn away all afflictions.
To you, the terrifying Fire Deity, I bow down.
Thus one praises. Then, to accomplish the desired aim:
O King of Fire Deities, O Sage,
Welcome; please accomplish the aim.
Grant the siddhi of the fire-offering rite.
As long as you remain present,
And as long as you maintain your intention,
Please grant your blessings.
Having said this, one dissolves [the deity] into the blazing fire. Then, within the blazing fire, one visualizes the deceased with very clear sense faculties, seated upon a lotus and sun disk.
The yogi, abiding in his own place, should dissolve the consciousness of the deceased into [himself] with light rays from the heart, reciting the mantra jaḥ hūṃ baṃ hoḥ. Having firmly placed the consciousness—which is wandering with the winds from the abodes of the six classes of beings—into the short a at the heart, one should free it from all misdeeds. Reciting oṃ a ā sarva tathāgata, oṃ sarva nāraka gate hetu hūṃ phaṭ, oṃ sarva preta gate hetu hūṃ phaṭ, oṃ sarva tiryag gate hetu hūṃ phaṭ, and oṃ sarva pāpaṃ dahana pacana gate hetu hūṃ phaṭ traṭ, one should generate devotion toward the methods for accumulating merit and arouse the bodhicitta. Visualizing a vajra upon a moon at the heart, one should wash away all the ripening effects of the karma and afflictions of that deceased son or daughter of noble family with the water of the vase. Reciting oṃ a ā sarva tathāgata, the mantra of the body of Mañjuśrī Jñānasattva, and sarva durgati pariśodhani rājāya tathāgatāya arhate samyaksaṃbuddhāya tadyathā oṃ śodhane śodhane sarva pāpaṃ viśodhane śuddhe viśuddhe sarva karmāvaraṇa viśuddhe svāhā, one should wash away all the obscurations of the afflictions and all the misdeeds of karma, and contemplate them as purified. One should then contemplate that the aggregate of form is empty and selfless. Visualizing the consciousness as a white a abiding there, one should emanate the maṇḍalas. Then, the wisdom wheel is gathered into the expanse of space.
Having viewed [the deity] correctly and made offerings, one should cause the samaya-maṇḍala to enter [the wisdom-maṇḍala], please it, confer empowerment, and seal it with the non-transgression [vow]. Immediately following that, one should offer seven or three ladlefuls of the filling and pouring [substances], and then offer the fire substances as previously described, preceded by the fuel sticks. After that, one should cause the deities of the wisdom-maṇḍala to abide in the heart of whichever deity was previously [visualized], and make offerings with the common fire substances. One should offer with the following: OṂ VAJRA ANALA MAHĀBHŪTA JVALA SARVA BHASMI KURU SARVA DUṢṬĀN HŪṂ PHAṬ | OṂ BHAVA AGNAYE | OṂ SARVA TATHĀGATA HṚDAYA HARA HARA | OṂ HŪṂ HRĪḤ | BHAGAVĀN JÑĀNAMŪRTI VĀGĪŚVARA MAHĀPĀṬHA SARVA DHARMĀ GAGANA AMALA SUPARIŚUDDHE DHARMADHĀTU JÑĀNAGARBHA ĀḤ | [For the deceased, so-and-so,] SARVA PĀPAṂ DAHANA VAJRAYE SVĀHĀ. At the end, one should again offer the filling and pouring, make perfect offerings, and offer praise. Then, one should say: "To the Lord of the Teachings of all the Sugatas, who purifies the lower realms of sentient beings sinking in the ocean of saṃsāra—to the Sugata, I prostrate and offer praise." Having said this, one should request the wisdom-maṇḍala to depart. The samayas should be dissolved into the principal deity, and the principal deity itself should be dissolved into the final letter A. One's own consciousness, in the form of the letter A, is then placed within the casket of the Dharma.
Place [the deceased] upon the chariot of the four great wisdoms and, moved by the wind-like light rays of the wisdom of Mahāvairocana, establish them as a Buddha of certain lineage in the realm of Akaniṣṭha. Following that, offer the remaining burnt substances to the Fire God himself and offer praise:
Son of Brahmā, Lord of the World,
King of Fire Gods, supreme sage,
In order to burn away all misdeeds,
You manifest a body through the power of compassion.
In the manner of a sage who accomplishes the lineage,
With the light of wisdom that burns the afflictions,
You blaze intensely like the fire at the end of an eon.
Endowed with the feet of clairvoyance and miraculous powers,
You ride the vehicle of emanated skillful means.
Holding a rosary and guarding the secret mantras,
You carry a guṇḍī vessel filled with the essence of nectar.
The nectar of Dharma ripens for all;
Free from the faults of ignorance, you practice pure conduct.
Pleased by tranquility and possessing great compassion,
Though dwelling in the world, you have passed beyond sorrow.
To you, I offer praise and prostrations with devotion.
Having spoken thus, request him to depart:
"Since you have performed the enlightened activity
Of purifying the lower realms for sentient beings,
Having returned to your own domain,
I pray that you come here once again."
Oṃ bhavaka agnaye ehyehi sahaṃ dadam ca ti dharmaca ya vajra muḥ.
With this, the wisdom being departs. The samaya fire god is dissolved in his ordinary form.
Through the merit accumulated from performing this excellent ritual,
The method for burning away the obscurations of the deceased,
May all wandering beings be born in Sukhāvatī.
The ritual for the cremation of Mañjuśrī composed by the master Mañjuśrīmitra is complete. It was translated by the Indian abbot Suvarman and the Tibetan translator Chos kyi shes rab.
Translation status: Not among 84000's published translations, and not in progress there. Translations published elsewhere have not been searched for, so one may exist. (source: 84000 catalogue + registry; checked 2026-11-10).
Set in Newsreader and EB Garamond; Tibetan in Noto Serif Tibetan; Chinese in Noto Serif SC.